The BelugaXL airlifter brings a “smile” to Airbus’ production network

The successful first flight of Airbus’ BelugaXL oversize airlifter marks an important milestone in further enhancing the company’s industrial network to support its production output – including the ramp-up in assembly rates for single-aisle and widebody commercial jetliners.

With an instantly recognisable livery – featuring a whale-type smile that was chosen by Airbus employees in a vote that attracted almost 21,000 participants – the no. 1 BelugaXL’s 19 July maiden takeoff initiated a 10-month, 750-flight hour certification campaign that will use two of the highly modified derivates of Airbus’ A330-200 freighter.

"The aircraft behaves really well in flight," said Christophe Cail, Airbus Chief Test Pilot and captain for the four-hour, 11-minute first flight from the company’s Toulouse, France headquarters site. "It's impressive how close the BelugaXL’s performance is to what we experienced in the ground-based flight simulators. First flights take a lot of preparation and we are just the tip of the iceberg, so ‘thank you’ to the entire team. It's only together that we can make it fly."

The BelugaXL has 30 percent more capacity than Airbus’ current Beluga ST airlifters.

As the replacement for Airbus’ current Beluga ST airlifters – which were derived from earlier-production A300-600 jetliners – the BelugaXL features a fuselage that is seven metres longer and an enlarged upper fuselage that is one metre wider.

BelugaXL’s greater size enables the new-generation airlifter to accommodate a set of A350 XWB wings, for example, speeding up their transport from the Broughton, UK production site to the programme's final assembly line in Toulouse. The aircraft also can carry the A350 XWB's largest fuselage section with room to spare. Additionally, the BelugaXL’s 30 percent extra capacity compared to the Beluga ST provides potential to meet ramp-up needs in meeting the global customer demand for Airbus single-aisle and widebody jetliners.

Once in service, the fleet of five BelugaXLs will replace the similar number of Beluga A300-600 ST airlifters operated by Airbus Transport International – Airbus' fully-owned oversize transport subsidiary. Each aircraft will perform between 900 and 1,000 flights per year, logging some 1,700 to 1,800 hours annually in servicing 11 line stations at locations across the company’s European industrial network.

The initial BelugaXL to enter operation in 2019 with Airbus Transport International will be the second-built aircraft, followed by two BelugaXLs during 2020, and one each in 2021 and 2022 – enabling the Beluga STs to be retired during the 2021-2023 timeframe.

Dibujando una sonrisa en el nuevo avión de carga BelugaXL

El avión de carga, de gran tamaño y de nueva generación de Airbus, recibe sus colores antes de su primer vuelo, que hará historia este verano.

El primer BelugaXL de Airbus es "todo sonrisas" tras salir del hangar de pintura en Toulouse (Francia), donde recibió su distintiva librea en la que presenta ojos inspirados en las ballenas beluga y una entusiasta sonrisa.

Con la parte superior de su fuselaje abultado, diseñada para proporcionar una enorme área de carga, el BelugaXL de Airbus ya es más que reconocible. La inclusión de una alegre cara a la estructura de su fuselaje lo distinguirá aún más en la mente del público en general. Este diferente esquema de pintura fue seleccionado por los empleados de Airbus tras una votación realizada en la compañía el año pasado.

El BelugaXL se lanzó en noviembre de 2014 para abordar las necesidades en capacidad de transporte y agilidad de logística en Airbus a partir del 2019. Derivado de la versión del avión de carga A330-200 (del mismo fabricante, Airbus) el BelugaXL es seis metros más largo, un metro más ancho y tiene una capacidad de carga útil superior en cuatro toneladas que el actual Beluga A300-600ST.

Preparativos para su entrada al servicio

Para ser operado por la filial Airbus Transport International (ATI), la flota de cinco aviones BelugaXL asumirá el transporte de secciones completas de aeronaves de Airbus entre las cadenas de producción de la compañía en Europa y las líneas de ensamblaje final en Francia, Alemania y España.

El despliegue en el hangar de pintura representa un hito importante, ya que significa que el primer BelugaXL ha concluido una fase completa de pruebas en tierra, que incluyó un total de 72 test específicos imprescindibles antes de su vuelo inaugural, entre ellos: fase de prueba de campo con transporte pesado, que se centró en la introducción de cargas en el nuevo fuselaje altamente reforzado, seguido de una serie de pruebas de vibración en suelo durante ocho días, y que ha concluido a principios de este mes.

Programado para este mismo julio, el próximo vuelo inicial del BelugaXL dará comienzo a una campaña de 10 meses de pruebas en vuelo para su certificación, que concluirá su entrada en servicio, prevista para el próximo año 2019.

Putting a smile on the BelugaXL’s face

Airbus’ next-gen oversize cargo airlifter receives its colours ahead of a history-making first flight this summer

Airbus’ first BelugaXL is “all smiles” after rolling out from the paint shop in Toulouse, France, where this next-generation oversize cargo airlifter received its distinctive livery – which features beluga whale-inspired eyes and an enthusiastic grin.

With a bulging upper forward fuselage and enormous cargo area, Airbus’ BelugaXL already is highly recognisable. The addition of a cheerful face to the distinctly-shaped airframe will further reinforce it in the public’s mind. The unconventional paint scheme was selected by Airbus employees in a company-wide vote conducted last year.

The BelugaXL was launched in November 2014 to address the transport and ramp-up capacity requirements for Airbus beyond 2019. Derived from the freighter version of Airbus’ A330-200 jetliner, the BelugaXL is six metres longer, one metre wider and has a payload lifting capacity four-tonnes-greater than the current Beluga A300-600ST.

Preparing for service entry

To be operated by the Airbus Transport International (ATI) subsidiary, the fleet of five BelugaXLs will take over transporting complete sections of Airbus aircraft among the company’s production sites around Europe and to final assembly lines in France, Germany and Spain.

The paint shop rollout is another major milestone as Airbus’ first BelugaXL concludes a comprehensive ground testing phase – including a total of 72 specific evaluations required prior to the aircraft’s maiden flight. This included the heavy ground test phase, which focused on introducing loads into the highly modified airframe, followed by an eight-day ground vibration campaign that wrapped up earlier this month.

Scheduled for July, the BelugaXL’s upcoming maiden flight will kick off a 10-month flight test certification campaign leading to planned service entry in 2019.

Airbus BelugaXL rolls out of paintshop

The first BelugaXL oversize cargo airlifter shows off its special beluga whale-inspired livery, which was selected by Airbus employees, after rolling out of the paint shop

Transport aircraft unveils special livery chosen by Airbus employees

The first BelugaXL has rolled out of the paintshop unveiling a special livery making it look like a Beluga Whale. The livery was one of six choices submitted to Airbus employees through a poll where 20,000 people participated. With 40% votes in favour, the smiley livery won.

The BelugaXL will now undertake gound tests before first flight planned in summer 2018.

The decision to build the BelugaXL was taken in November 2014 to address the transport and ramp-up capacity requirements for Airbus beyond 2019. The new oversize air transporters are based on the A330-200 Freighter, with a large re-use of existing components and equipments. The first of five BelugaXLs will fly in summer 2018 and enter into service in 2019. 

Airbus BelugaXL passes ground vibration test

Transport aircraft one step closer to first flight in summer 2018

The first BelugaXL has passed the Ground Vibration Test (GVT), a requirement for certification of the aircraft that paves the way towards its maiden flight in summer 2018.

The objective of this test is to measure the dynamic behaviour of the aircraft and confirm theoretical models of various flight conditions, such as manoeuvring, flying in gusty conditions and landing. The test data also helps clear the aircraft’s flight enveloppe.

The GVT of the BelugaXL was performed by ONERA in collaboration with DLR over eight testing days using several hundreds of external accelerometers while the aircraft was stimulated by external shakers or seismic exciters.

The BelugaXL was launched in November 2014 to address the transport and ramp-up capacity requirements for Airbus beyond 2019. The new oversize air transporters are based on the A330-200 Freighter, with a large re-use of existing components and equipment. The first of five BelugaXLs will fly in summer 2018 and enter into service in 2019.